


Separation

by Palefire73



Series: Loki Origins [17]
Category: Frigga - Fandom, Loki - Fandom, Marvel, Thor - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Loki feels lost, Loki is upset, Loki wants his brother, Separation Anxiety, Thor is a great brother, Thor is growing up, Thor needs to help Loki cope, young loki, young thor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-24 17:26:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6161014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Palefire73/pseuds/Palefire73
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor is approaching ten years of age and he is being taken to the exclusive Royal training compound to begin the real lessons in how to be a great King.</p><p>Unfortunately, his little brother is not invited...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Separation

 

“No! I want Thor!” Loki sobbed, “I want Thor!”

 

The three year old looked fearfully at his nanny who was approaching him as he cowered behind his older brother. No! They could not take him away! Thor looked after him. Thor held him close when he had a nightmare in the middle of the night. Thor secretly passed him extra treats at meal times.

 

They could not take him away!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The day had set off nicely. Fulla had got both the Princes up early, had got them washed and dressed and packed off to the Great Hall for a special breakfast. Both of them were quite excited; Thor because it was being held in his honour, and Loki because he found his brother’s happiness infectious. He did not know why there was a special breakfast; he just knew his older brother was looking forward to it – and so was he. They had arrived to see there were many people already present at the large dining table and they quickly went to their places at the side of the King and Queen. Proper Asgardian salutes were shared with their father and indulgent kisses to the forehead were accepted from their mother. As they sat down to breakfast, the assembled courtiers and elite from the armed forces took their seats and the servants came forward to start serving them. Frigga lifted Loki up onto his especially elevated chair so he could reach the table and she tucked a square of linen into his collar to protect his clothes from the inevitable spills. Thor’s eyes boggled at the variety of rich breakfast foods that were brought to the table, many of which he had never seen before. He grinned over at Loki, who made an impressed face back and then they both tucked in enthusiastically. There were cinnamon rolls dusted with sugar, smoky cured bacon from the finest Asgardian wild pigs, huge soft-boiled Asgardian goose eggs, crusty bread, freshly pressed Asgardian apple juice, pots of Asgardian heather honey… the list went on and on and it was a truly magnificent spread.

 

Once everyone had eaten their fill and the plates and bowls were tidied away, small cups of watered mead were brought for everyone and Odin called for quiet. As the general hubbub stopped and those present turned to pay attention, his gaze went round the table and eventually settled – with immense pride – on Thor, who was watching him adoringly.

 

“My son, stand up please.” The All Father gestured to the nine year old and Thor did as he bade him. Odin rested a hand on his shoulder and looked at him thoughtfully before smiling and turning to face the breakfast guests.

 

“Today is an important day.” He began, his deep and generous voice enunciating each word in a proud fashion, “It is an important day for a few reasons. One, it marks the end of the educational year and I am very happy to report that all the students have done exceptionally well, including my sons.” Odin glanced over to Loki, who was now sitting in Frigga’s lap, to see that the little brown haired Prince was watching raptly with his large blue eyes. _Eyes that had been red when he had first found him._ He smiled at him and was rewarded with a wide grin from the young boy. Then he turned his attention back to his older son, who was making a commendable effort to appear serious and attentive, just as a Prince should be.

 

“Today also marks the third month before Thor’s tenth birth celebration, “He continued, “which is in itself a very important occasion. Thirdly, it marks the day my son goes off to training camp for the first time.” As he said this, he saw Thor’s stoic composure crumble and the golden haired Prince finally broke into a huge smile of excitement. Dropping the formality he had adopted for the announcement, Odin grinned back and reached out to ruffle Thor’s golden locks. Turning back to the guests he joked, “We will make a man of him yet! A toast to my son!” he said and raised his cup of mead to drain it.

 

“To Thor!” Chorused everyone and drank their mead. Even Loki had a sip. Cheers and applause went up as Thor and Odin saluted each other and then hugged – in an appropriately manly warrior style, with much clapping of hands on backs. In Frigga’s lap, Loki made an admirable effort to copy the Asgardian salute and the Queen told him what a grown up boy he was. Loki had not quite understood what his father’s words had meant, but it was something good about Thor and so the little boy was happy for him. As all the adults began to chatter around him, he lost interest again and chewed on a piece of fruit he had managed to pilfer from one of the plates before they had been cleared away, wondering if any more nice food was going to be brought out.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The breakfast had come to an end soon after and Odin had announced they were to leave for the training grounds in an hour. Fulla had come and taken the Princes back to the nursery. The plan was to check Thor had everything ready and then they would all go to wave him off. Frigga went back to the King’s suite with Odin to check he had everything too.

 

There was a bag packed up for Thor back at the nursery, containing everything he might need whilst away at the Royal training camp. He would be staying there for a month with some of his closest noble friends and they would be introduced to a team of elite teachers, all at the top of their game in their respective subjects. The students would undergo a month of basic training in many areas, such as warcraft, close combat, logistics of supply in war, languages of other realms, survival, horsemanship and so on. He was incredibly excited; all Asgardian Kings and those who would be expected to serve them closely were trained there and this was a very big milestone in his life as the heir apparent. He quickly checked through his pack to make sure he had everything and buckled it up firmly. The students would be expected to walk the long distance to the camp, which was on the other side of the Mountain of Asgard, as part of their initiation. It was a gruelling journey, but one they had to carry out on foot as a mark of their willingness and suitability to undergo such fine training.

 

A tug on his tunic made him look round and he found Loki looking up at him.

“Where is Loki’s pack?” Asked the little boy, standing on his tip toes and looking on the bed.

“Ohhh. Dear brother… you do not have one I’m afraid.” As Loki’s face fell, Thor looked over at Fulla. “This trip is only for the bigger children.”

“Loki not going?” Asked the younger Prince, “Only Thor?” a slight wobble entered his voice as he asked and Thor’s heart sank.

“Er… not this time, Loki. Maybe when you are older…”

“I want to go too!” Said Loki plaintively and Fulla came over to see what the matter was.

 

Thor picked up his pack and shouldered it, “I am sorry brother, but you cannot come along. It is too arduous a journey for such a young…”

“I want to go. I want to go with you!” Loki’s voice cracked as he began to cry. “Why can I not go?” His little hand grasped Thor’s tunic harder as he pulled on it.

“Loki dear, this is for the bigger children.” Fulla went to pick up the three year old so that Thor could get his things together – he was nearly due to leave – but he dodged her and went round the other side of his brother. “Loki, my Prince! Please come here. Do not be upset by this – it is a wonderful opportunity for your brother and you will be offered the same when you are his age.”

“I want to go now!” Exclaimed Loki, “I want to go with Thor!”

“Loki, please…” Said Fulla as she reached towards the little boy round the side of Thor. The elder Prince stepped to one side reluctantly; he did not want to upset Loki, but time was ticking and he should really be going to the departure point.

“No!” Screamed Loki as Fulla took hold of him, “No!”

Thor felt the small yet surprisingly powerful hands grip him tightly as the three year old began to grow hysterical and he felt terrible. This was not how it was supposed to happen! They should be at the departure point and everyone should be waving them off happily! He would miss Loki while he was at the training camp of course, but obviously not as badly as the little boy would him. He looked at their nanny and smiled sadly.

“No! Nooooo! I want Thor! I want Thor!” Loki’s voice was high pitched and wracked with tears. Thor sighed and put his pack down.

“Give us a moment Fulla, please?” He said and she backed off a little. He picked up Loki, whose face was red and stained with tears. The younger Prince clung to him tightly.

“Don’t go, Thor. Don’t go!”

“Loki, I have to. Do you not see how important this is? I have to go because I am nearly ten. I am nearly a man! Do you not think this is something I should do?”

“No!” The reply was instant and adamant.

“Why not? Give me a reason Loki. I will listen.” Thor hugged his brother tightly while he thought and the sobbing started to subside.

“Because I shall miss you. I will be alone.” The sadness in Loki’s voice was apparent and Thor was reminded of the first time he had seen his father go off to another realm and how it had felt.

“Oh Loki! I shall miss you too!” He laughed softly.

“You will?” Loki sounded uncertain.

“Terribly! You are my brother and I love you!” He kissed the brown haired head, “But I have to go and you have a very important job to do for me until I come back.”

 

Loki was quiet for so long that Thor began to grow concerned, but then the little boy’s voice piped up.

“I do?”

“Yes, brother. Can I trust you to do it?” He asked, “Can you be a man in my stead for this short time? Can you do it?”

“I… I… think so…” Replied Loki, “What is my task?”

“Well who else might miss Father and me?”

“Mother!” Declared Loki, realising he would not be alone in his feeling of loss.

“Exactly! Now, who will look after her if Father and I are not here?”

“Me?” Asked Loki, and he sat up in Thor’s lap to look at him questioningly. Thor smiled warmly at him and nodded.

“Yes. You will be the man of the family while we are gone.”

 

Loki pondered upon this for a moment and just then Frigga arrived to find out why Thor had not turned up to go to the training camp. Everyone else was there and it was time to leave. She looked at her sons and at Fulla, who went to her quickly and ushered her to one side where she explained everything.

 

“Now, brother, it is too late to come to wave goodbye and so we must say it here, privately, just you and me. I am trusting you to look after Mother with the utmost care. Can you do it?” His face was serious now as he looked Loki in the eyes, “Can I trust you with this?”

“Yes! Yes I can do it!” Said Loki with a resolute look on his young face. He jumped off Thor’s lap and the older Prince quickly took up his pack. As he turned to leave, Loki’s hand slipped into his and he looked down to see him handing over a scruffy ragged toy.

“You trust me to look after Mother.” Said Loki, “And I trust you to look after Helgrindr!”

 

Thor tucked Loki’s most precious possession into his pack and nodded. Saluting his younger brother in the Asgardian fashion, he nodded seriously, “With my life.”

Loki saluted back with an equally serious expression and then the two boys hugged each other tightly.

“I shall miss you Thor.” Said Loki’s small voice as he nestled his face against his big brother’s chest.

“And I shall miss you too, Loki.” Replied Thor. He would, too. A month  would bring bigger changes to Loki than it would Thor and he knew the little boy would be different when he got back.

“I will care for Mother.” Said Loki as they parted, “Now, go. Or Father will be upset!”

 

Thor grinned at Loki and then at his mother and nanny. “Goodbye!” He said excitedly and then he was gone. Loki watched the empty doorspace for a few seconds and then he seemed to straighten his back, to square his shoulders and to lift his chin. He walked over to Frigga and took her hand, whereupon she looked down at him with a kindly smile. Just as she was about to offer some wise words of support to her young son, he raised his eyes to her and said, “Do not worry Mother. It is only a month. Thor will be home with many exciting tales before you know it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Is it too sickly? Too cute?
> 
> Distraction techniques like this have always worked for me as a parent - although I was not sending my Godling son off to King camp while I stayed behind with my adopted son of who-knows-what origin!!
> 
> I just like to write about those moments where Thor was a great older brother, because it just makes sense to me that this is why Loki loves him so much. 
> 
> Sorry! *waves* Fangirl obsessive analysis alert! No one can do any wrong - except Odin LOL!


End file.
